Dear Giant -- please name the dragon!

[pendell]

Despite my distaste for events in the current comic strip -- this *is* a cool villain. One who plans ahead, scouts her enemies, prepares carefully, is incredibly evil, waits until the absolute perfect moment to strike, and devises tortures beyond imagining for her enemies.

I can't go on calling her 'black dragon mama'.

This is a villain who could give Xykon a run for his money. Request a name, or I'll have to come up with one myself, and I suck at names. Ummm ... 'Binky'? "Smurfette'? 'Annette'? 'PWN'?

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Lost Demiurge]

Odds are he won't. The dragon's too smart to give V its name.

Though I'm a little rusty on D&D mechanics, it seems to me that a name would make it easier to find, easier to scry or divine or wish for information about itself. And if it really plans to leave the plane and vanish utterly, no sense in giving that away to a powerful, vengeful wizard.

[pendell]

The Giant can give the name to the audience and yet not reveal it to Vaarsuvius. *I* promise not to tell.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[Lykainon]

One who plans ahead, scouts her enemies, prepares carefully, is incredibly evil, waits until the absolute perfect moment to strike, and devises tortures beyond imagining for her enemies.

I thought the same thing when I read the latest strip. This might in fact be the most competent antagonist yet or at least sharing the number one spot with Redcloak.

Especially impressive since people (and dragons I suppose) who are as emotionally involved in their plans as Ma Dragon obviously is often tend to act to quickly and screw things up.

I have to say, I think this is probably the scariest enemy yet. Xykon is really powerful but pretty goofy and rarely plans ahead, Redcloak is powerful and organized but is a little to composed and, well, nice-ish to be really scary, Nale is somewhat powerful and somewhat smart but tend to overcomplicate everything. This dragon on the other hand... is about as scary as someone in a stick-figure comic can get. :smalleek:

[Vemynal]

and now we have a new running gag..."whats the damn dragons name!"

[Da'Shain]

I'd be happy either way. "Scary pissed off black dragon mama" works just as well for me as, say, "Balzotha" or whatever names dragons have for themselves.

I'd dub Xykon still the scariest villain of the series, since pretty much none of what he does is personal. Other people are merely tools for him, even those closest to him, even those who continually thwart his plans. You really just can't piss him off, because you don't matter to him. That, to me, is far scarier than Redcloak's evil but somewhat justified quest to gain equality for his race, or dragon mama's vengeance for her child's death. At least those are semi-personal, recognizing that others have the capacity to impact the world and wishing to curtail that ability.

Xykon, though? You're just here for his amusement.

As a villain, though, dragon mama works quite well for a sub-plot, and I would welcome her entrance into the main plot if it were done in a believable manner. She's certainly frighteningly competent, which is not a good trait for a dragon to have (not for other races, at least). And her plan is calculated to deliver the maximum amount of pain possible to her chosen enemy.

Nothing she does is likely to compare to the sheer delight Xykon takes in an act such as this (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0448.html), though.

[MammonAzrael]

I have to say, I think this is probably the scariest enemy yet. Xykon is really powerful but pretty goofy and rarely plans ahead, Redcloak is powerful and organized but is a little to composed and, well, nice-ish to be really scary, Nale is somewhat powerful and somewhat smart but tend to overcomplicate everything. This dragon on the other hand... is about as scary as someone in a stick-figure comic can get. :smalleek:

As all older dragons should be. The game is named after them for a reason.

(The reason being their multiple levels in awesome.)

[Lykainon]

As all older dragons should be. The game is named after them for a reason.

(The reason being their multiple levels in awesome.)

I just know there's a good joke somewhere about the multiple levels of Dungeons...

I just can't think of it. :smallfrown:

[Quorothorn]

I thought the same thing when I read the latest strip. This might in fact be the most competent antagonist yet or at least sharing the number one spot with Redcloak.

Especially impressive since people (and dragons I suppose) who are as emotionally involved in their plans as Ma Dragon obviously is often tend to act to quickly and screw things up.

I have to say, I think this is probably the scariest enemy yet. Xykon is really powerful but pretty goofy and rarely plans ahead, Redcloak is powerful and organized but is a little to composed and, well, nice-ish to be really scary, Nale is somewhat powerful and somewhat smart but tend to overcomplicate everything. This dragon on the other hand... is about as scary as someone in a stick-figure comic can get. :smalleek:

I can see your PoV here, but personally, Xykon remains the only fictional villain who has truly frightened me (thinking off the top of my head, his name's the only one which pops up).

[David Argall]

No, the dragon doesn't need a name. She is just a one-shot opponent who has little or no future in the story.

[Fitzclowningham]

No, the dragon doesn't need a name. She is just a one-shot opponent who has little or no future in the story.

Unless she succeeds. :smalleek:

[Emilinah Adams]

I think the dragon is just a plot device to make Qarr a more attractive option for V. Now Qarr can really tempt V where V would have wanted nothing from him before. Qarr knows a lot of big Demons as evidenced by the one he summoned that V turned to stone. The oracle said she/he would attain ultimate arcane power by asking the right person at the right time. Now shes got something even more pressing and immediate to deal with than recovering her party members. Remember V can't teleport but Qarr can.

[mikeejimbo]

I have to say, I think this is probably the scariest enemy yet. Xykon is really powerful but pretty goofy and rarely plans ahead, Redcloak is powerful and organized but is a little to composed and, well, nice-ish to be really scary, Nale is somewhat powerful and somewhat smart but tend to overcomplicate everything. This dragon on the other hand... is about as scary as someone in a stick-figure comic can get. :smalleek:

Have you read Start of Darkness? Xykon is much scarier in that, for me.

[Starwaster]

The dragon's name is Mulch.

Go figure.

[Flickerdart]

The dragon's name is Mulch.

Go figure.
Mulch isn't a girl's name.

I propose that the dragon be named after forum member Gezina, for no better reason that both frighten me severely.

[Ehra]

I think the dragon is just a plot device to make Qarr a more attractive option for V. Now Qarr can really tempt V where V would have wanted nothing from him before. Qarr knows a lot of big Demons as evidenced by the one he summoned that V turned to stone. The oracle said she/he would attain ultimate arcane power by asking the right person at the right time. Now shes got something even more pressing and immediate to deal with than recovering her party members. Remember V can't teleport but Qarr can.

That's possible, but I don't see how V wanting to save his/her family would fall under "for all the wrong reasons."

[Liwen]

I think the dragon is just a plot device to make Qarr a more attractive option for V. Now Qarr can really tempt V where V would have wanted nothing from him before. Qarr knows a lot of big Demons as evidenced by the one he summoned that V turned to stone. The oracle said she/he would attain ultimate arcane power by asking the right person at the right time. Now shes got something even more pressing and immediate to deal with than recovering her party members. Remember V can't teleport but Qarr can.

Except that you got it in reverse. Qarr is certainly not a right being, this is not the right time for V to get ultimate arcane power, were in the middle of the story, not near the end. And finally, giving his soul to save her children and her mate is one of the "best" reason to do so I can think off.

Wrong set up, no four words, no prophecy. Plus, it's Rich Burlew we are talking about here. Qarr or so demon being the key to ultimate power is too obvious. He wants to surprise us.

[Spoomeister]

No, the dragon absolutely should NOT have a name. That is the entire point.

Her rant was that her son died at the hands of adventurers who treated him like a collection of stats, a bunch of XP to gain, a faceless, nameless, soulless thing with no reason to exist except to be killed just for the XP and a good story to tell at the inn.

This is where the nameless NPCs fight back, and the named characters' actions have consequences.

No name.

[Carnivorous_Bea]

The dragon's name is Mulch.

Go figure.

Is that a Groo the Barbarian reference? :smallamused:

[Chronos]

Especially impressive since people (and dragons I suppose) who are as emotionally involved in their plans as Ma Dragon obviously is often tend to act to quickly and screw things up.The dragon has actually made one mistake already, but lucked out on it. She knew that Vaarsuvius has Dimensional Anchor in es spellbook, and may even (if she watched em preparing spells this morning) know how many copies of it e prepared today. She also knew, or should have, that V had an excellent chance of hitting her with a ranged touch attack roll, and knew, or should have, what the range of that ray is. So she should have flown out of range before dismissing the Antimagic Shell.

[DigoDragon]

The dragon has actually made one mistake already, but lucked out on it.

I dunno, try not trancing for a few weeks and see if you can hit anything with your ranged touch spell while stressed. :smallbiggrin:

[Starwaster]

Is that a Groo the Barbarian reference? :smallamused:


These people should have raised Roy already and gone to stop Xykon, as any fool can plainly see! :smallbiggrin:

[Felixaar]

Despite my distaste for events in the current comic strip -- this *is* a cool villain.

A the moment? The senior black dragon is no more of a villain than V him and/or herself is.

[Quorothorn]

A the moment? The senior black dragon is no more of a villain than V him and/or herself is.

Did you miss the part where it made clear its intention to permanently imprison the souls of two small children?

[Raging Gene Ray]

No, the dragon doesn't need a name. She is just a one-shot opponent who has little or no future in the story.

You mean like Isamu, Chuck, Jenny, and Goblin Dan?

[Rotipher]

The dragon has actually made one mistake already, but lucked out on it. She knew that Vaarsuvius has Dimensional Anchor in es spellbook, and may even (if she watched em preparing spells this morning) know how many copies of it e prepared today. She also knew, or should have, that V had an excellent chance of hitting her with a ranged touch attack roll, and knew, or should have, what the range of that ray is. So she should have flown out of range before dismissing the Antimagic Shell.


And if V had been more accurate, Mama Dragon could have simply said "No" again. Even if her SR failed her, she could've smacked the elf around some more, or just circled the island dissing Vaarsuvius while the effect wore off.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Inspired by the recent thread...I'm gonna suggest Krakatoa. Maybe throw in a couple apostrophes to make it feminine.

I guess we should name Junior, also. I'll go with Fuji, or anything else on this list. (http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-070422volcanoes,0,4336803.story)

[pendell]

I dunno .. I kinda like Mulch. That's my personal favorite right now. Precisely because it's so irreverent.

Respectfully,

Brian P.

[ericgrau]

I'd be happy either way. "Scary pissed off black dragon mama" works just as well for me as, say, "Balzotha" or whatever names dragons have for themselves.
Try Scary Pissed Off Ancient Black Dragon Antagonist, or Spoabda.

Spoad also works, if that's easier.

[Cúchulainn]

And if V had been more accurate, Mama Dragon could have simply said "No" again. Even if her SR failed her, she could've smacked the elf around some more, or just circled the island dissing Vaarsuvius while the effect wore off.

That's really efficient for an ancient black dragon that prides itself on its magical knowledge. It's more likely it was a completely plot driven action that normally would have succeeded but for the sake of the story it didn't. Then again if you're right and the dragon would have remained and smacked V around maybe V missed on purpose, you know how V just hates wasting strips (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0596.html) on unnecessary actions.


No, the dragon doesn't need a name. She is just a one-shot opponent who has little or no future in the story.

QFT on-topic.

[Emilinah Adams]

Anyone buying my theory now? :smallsmile: